The generation of pluripotent stem cells that are genetically identical to an individual provides unique opportunities for basic research and for potential immunologically-compatible novel cell-based therapies. Methods to reprogram primate differentiated somatic cells to a pluripotent state include differentiated somatic cell nuclear transfer, differentiated somatic cell fusion with pluripotent stem cells and direct reprogramming to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) (Takahashi K, et al. (2007) Cell 131:861-872; Park I H, et al. (2008) Nature 451:141-146; Yu J, et al. (2007) Science 318:1917-1920; Kim D, et al. (2009) Cell Stem Cell 4:472-476; Soldner F, et al. (2009) Cell. 136:964-977; Huangfu D, et al. (2008) Nature Biotechnology 26:1269-1275; Li W, et al. (2009) Cell Stem Cell 4:16-19).
These methodologies, however, are characterized by a low reprogramming efficiency and in most cases, undesirable modification of the genome with integrating viral vectors. Higher efficiency methods, and methods that do not permanently modify the genome of the cell are of great interest.
Additional publications of interest include Stadtfeld et al. Science 322, 945-949 (2008); Okita et al. Science 322, 949-953 (2008); Kaji et al. Nature 458, 771-775 (2009); Soldner et al. Cell 136, 964-977 (2009); Woltjen et al. Nature 458, 766-770 (2009); Yu et al. Science (2009).